Woolworths NZ was honoured to have the Hon Paul Goldsmith virtually discuss the Government’s work to address retail crime.
From July 2024 through to February 2025, Woolworths saw a 32 percent increase in retail crime compared to the same period last year. Even more worrying is a 65 percent rise in incidents where an edged weapon is presented.
Store managers across the country were heartened to hear the Minister of Justice discuss how the Government is working hard to address retail crime. This was a great opportunity for the teams to ask questions and learn more about the Government’s work to improve law and order.
Woolworths NZ spokesperson said -
“In the last year, we’ve continued to see retail crime have a very real impact in our stores and on our team and customers. What we see from offenders entering our stores is simply appalling, and this report is a timely reminder of how important this issue is.
From July 2024 through to February 2025, Woolworths NZ reported 19,416 incidents through to Police. This was a 32.07 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Incidents where edge weapons (machetes, knives, axes, screwdrivers or scissors) are used indicates a concerning trend, with a 65 percent rise in serious edge weapon events from 2023 to 2024. Last month in an Auckland store, an offender threatened three guards with a knife when he was confronted for stealing stock.
Threats from offenders also include stalking type behaviour, for example, following a team member on public transport after being removed from our stores for theft events. We’ve also had instances of offenders going to vehicles in a carpark and returning with a firearm.
The threatening behaviour we see does not seem to be reducing, and both physical and mental injuries continue to occur across our stores. Over the last 12 months we have had 10 team members injured so severely they haven’t been able to come to work.
Our responsibility is to keep our team and customers safe, and we’ve invested in a range of security measures to help, but we can’t do it alone. We need continued collaborative action across Government, agency and industry to tackle crime in New Zealand retail environments.”
Hon Paul Goldsmith, National Party spokesperson for Justice, added they have been seeing real results – violent crime is falling, and communities are safer.
New quarterly data showed a 13 percent drop in serious and persistent youth offending, putting them close to their 2029 target of 15 percent, four years ahead of schedule.
This progress reflects bold initiatives, better collaboration across agencies, and a clear focus on victims. Budget 2025 backed this momentum with targeted investments to strengthen frontline services and maintain pressure on crime.
